Classic tension
One of the best things about the number of games we get nowadays is that developers that grew up around the same time are creating titles reminiscent of the games I grew up with. Recently we have been seeing a lot of classic 32-bit survival horror, complete with wobbly PS1 polygons, and I love it. Now, imagine combining that with Blumhouse, who creates some of the best horror movies and you have a nostalgic match made in Heaven. Fear the Spotlight ticks all these boxes and is a fun romp that can be completed in less than ten hours.
The story here is about as cliche as it gets for a horror game. You follow the tale of two girls who are the definition of polar opposites. Vivian is the traditional nerd trope while Amy is the token goth. The plot kicks off with them sneaking into their school library to test out a Ouija board that is part of the school’s occult display…excuse me?! Of course, this leads to things going wrong and thus the game kicks off with Vivian having to navigate the school to find Amy.
Must. Stay. Quiet.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
In traditional horror fashion this game is broken down into two sections, one for each character. It starts with Vivian as she travels through the school in search of Amy. Along the way she will avoid someone hunting her while solving puzzles and of course using stealth tactics. Vivian’s health is reliant on her lungs. She has asthma so you must keep an eye on this, if it is depleted, it is game over.
Once I reached the end of that story it unlocks Amy’s side, which takes place in an alternate world. This is mostly the same idea with a different hunter and health mechanic. Amy’s relies on stress levels, but it is fairly similar. It is neat to see both sides and both can be completed in less than ten hours.
As I mentioned, the game revolves around hiding as opposed to fighting. This is more common in horror games these days, which does take a little away from the experience. I liked the dynamics presented here, but I do wish it was more survival horror and less hiding horror. The game does a nice job of being more stressful than scary. Hiding from enemies delivers a good sense of tension.
What could possibly go wrong?
The visuals are ripped straight out of the PSOne era. It even has wobbly polygons which can be turned off in the menu. They knew what they were going for and nailed it. This could easily have been on those older consoles. The atmosphere is great and the distinction between the two worlds adds a nice bit of variety to the environments. The voice acting is well done and overall, it does a good job of straddling that line between retro and modern.
Fear the Spotlight is a good first effort from the Blumhouse games initiative. It hits all the notes of a classic horror game with the hint of nostalgia for those of us who grew up with the 32-bit consoles. I am excited to see more and more of these drop over time and definitely recommend picking it up for a spooky weekend of fun during the holiday season.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
